Beating the Wind Trivia Quiz

Answer: Reaching a destination located almost exactly upwind

The physics of sailing prevent a boat or ship from making progress directly or near directly against the wind, but they do allow sailing at an angle of less than 90 degrees towards the wind. By zigzagging, you can thus reach a destination exactly upwind - this is the basic idea of beating.

Answer: Tacking

Tacking is a turning maneuver during which the bow of the vessel crosses the windward line. In the process, the sails need to be rearranged to cross the vessel's midline and be shifted to the other side. The side from which the apparent wind is coming is also referred to as the tack, thus a boat on starboard tack will have its sails on the port side, with wind from starboard providing propulsion.

Answer: It depends on the characteristics of the vessel

If you sail as close to the wind as possible, you will make the most progress towards your goal compared to the total distance sailed, but you will also sail at a very slow speed (at the exact closest point, speed effectively becomes zero). Thus, to achieve the best possible net speed towards your goal, you need to compromise between maximizing gross speed and the percentage of it that will contribute to the net progress towards your destination.

The optimized course is also referred to as sailing close-hauled.

Answer: As rarely as space, weather and waves permit

Generally, each tacking maneuver will cost you some time as during tacking, you will be without propulsion and off the optimum course, so you want to reduce the time spent maneuvering. On the other hand, available space and navigational concerns will usually limit how long you can go between tacks - in an extreme case of tacking only once, you may tack too late or suffer some drift and miss your destination, requiring extra maneuvering and possibly even sacrificing some upwind progress to compensate.

Answer: You are moving very slowly

Any tacking maneuver requires a minimum speed to keep the vessel maneuverable during the turn. As you have no propulsion during a significant part of the maneuver but you need speed to make turns (the rudder will not work if you are stalled), you need to build up enough momentum to complete the maneuver. Stalling with the bow into the wind and no way to use the sails to generate propulsion is also referred to as being in irons.

Deep water and strong winds are usually factors favoring a tack and if you have already been blown off course, you usually need to tack immediately to correct with a minimum loss of time and distance.

Answer: Move around the mast towards the bow

A windsurfer will usually stand aft of the mast and lean back to provide a counterweight that will keep the sail upright against the forces of the wind. During a tack, the sail will need to cross the stern, however, so the surfer needs to get out of the way towards the bow. Good balance is required as, during the transition, the surfer cannot rely on wind force to steady the board or aid in keeping equilibrum. Standing aft and letting the sail swing is the correct way to execute a jibe.

The other two will probably result in taking an involuntary swim.

Answer: Beating requires the most maneuvering and tactical skill

Sailing a reach or downwind course is usually relatively straightforward and requires little maneuvering, so the true test of skill and strategy comes during the beating segments of a regatta course. With each crew free to choose their exact courses and points of tacking, collisions are always a danger especially in a crowded field and the rules of sailing include very detailed regulations about the right of way which, in turn, often influence a skipper's tactical decisions who may attempt to reach a point of possible conflict with an opponent while having right of way.

Answer: When the wind changes to a less favorable direction, tack immediately

A header is an unfavorable wind change while sailing close-hauled, requiring that the vessel adapt course in a way that would reduce progress to the intended destination. The opposite of a header is a lift (a favorable change) and, by tacking, you get to convert the header into a lift (letting you sail closer to your ultimate destination), so tack immediately.

Also do your crewmates a favor and keep your head down during tacks especially if you're at the stern and manning the rudder - the sail and beam will swing over your head and they won't want to have to stop to drag you out of the water (or worse)!

Answer: The more maneuverable vessel must keep clear of a less maneuverable one

Right of way at sea is governed by a set of rules applied in a strict order of priority - lower priority rules apply only when all higher priority ones have failed to decide right of way. Almost all of the rules favor the less maneuverable vessel: You must give way to any vessel that has restricted or no movement; engine-propelled vessels yield to wind-propelled ones; a windward sailor yields to a leeward one (since the windward vessel might block the leeward vessel's access to wind power).

The one important exception is sailing on opposite tack, a typical crossing situation.

In this case, starboard tack (having the wind from starboard) always has priority.

Answer: It is significantly safer

Two safety concerns make a direct downwind course undesirable for many sailing vessels. The first is maneuverability: if you are sailing exactly or almost exactly downwind, you can directly and easily turn in only one direction while the other requires a jibe. This restricts the vessel's ability to avoid a sudden hazard.

Secondly and often more importantly, a downwind course can result in an accidental jibe, causing the sail and beams to swing around uncontrollably, possibly inflicting severe head injuries or pushing crew members overboard with great force. Add to this that sailing on a broad reach is far faster than directly downwind and many sailors will gladly do a few extra maneuvers.